1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a walking operator type lawn mower which enables cutting height adjustment.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a conventional walking operator type lawn mower, a mower deck is attached to a mower body having rear wheels and an engine, through a plurality of mounting bores arranged vertically in forward positions of the body. Front wheels are vertically adjustably attached to a forward end of the mower deck. A cutting height is varied by varying bolt fixing positions of the front wheels relative to the mower deck, and bolt fixing positions of the body relative to the mower deck. Such a lawn mower is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,020,310, for example. Further, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,552, a lawn mower includes a mower deck having side walls and an upper wall defining a cutting space for accommodating blades, and an engine mounted on an upper position of the mower deck. Four, front and rear, wheels are connected to the mower deck, each wheel being pivotable relative to the mower deck, and adjustor levers are provided for pivoting the four wheels, respectively.
With the first-mentioned lawn mower, mounting bolts provided in forward and rear positions of the mower deck must be removed and then tightened each time a cutting height is varied. Further, in the total absence of a cover for covering the mower deck, the lawn mower is not satisfactory in appearance. In the case of the latter lawn mower, a cutting height is varied by operating the adjustor levers to vertically pivot the wheels. At this time, the mower deck and the engine are vertically moved, thereby varying a distance between lower ends of the side walls of the mower deck and the ground.
Thus, with both lawn mowers, grass clippings would be scattered through the spaces between the ground and the lower ends of the side walls of the mower deck when a high cutting level is selected to increase a distance between the blades and the ground. Further, these lawn mowers present a disagreeable appearance when the lower ends of the side walls of the mower deck are greatly spaced from the ground.